28 September 2010

Excerp from BBC website......Six designs for the V&A Museum planned for Dundee's waterfront will be unveiled at an exhibition in the city [tomorrow, Wednesday 29 September].

The architects were shortlisted in May and asked to submit their designs for the building, due to be opened in 2014 as a centre of 21st Century design.

Among the six are Edinburgh-based firm Sutherland Hussey. The other companies are Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, Kengo Kuma and Associates (image above), REX, Snøhetta and Steven Holl Architects. [View all design via BBC at In pictures: Dundee V&A designs]

More than 120 firms took part in the competition to design the landmark building. Sir Mark Jones, director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, said they were "fantastic designs from brilliant architects".

23 September 2010

I'm finding it difficult to believe that October is nearly upon us. This year in particular has been a whirlwind of activity. There are so many fascinating events, people and places that have filled the days and weeks. June, July and August was no exception with Craft Festival Scotland events, V&A at Dundee exhibition preparations, the 'Past, Present and Future Craft' book launch, conference organisation and attendance!! Here's a snap shot of some of the journey:

DRS 2010
July (7-10th) saw me in Montreal, Canada, at the Design Research Society conference 'Design and Complexity'. I was presenting a small but important aspect of my research from the Past, Present and Future Craft Practice project. I talked about craft as strategy, a concern for innovation and future cultural concern. I introduced the visualisation mapping method I use to analyse and evaluate the creative development of craft practitioners over a 10-year period to assess how, if and where innovation has been achieved and, where and how changes can be introduced to increase the levels of innovation in their practice. I also noted the shift in communication of craft practice that was required for craft as strategy to be understood and investigated further.

Personally, what I found most enlightening is the 'rhetoric of research' in that although I am in the midst of completing a major 5-year research project, I am also just beginning to disseminate the work and contextualize it's relevance from a range of perspectives! Why is it that when you complete you are only just beginning?

In terms of future DRS events, a consistent and fair approach to parallel sessions would be preferred as some sessions had 2 parallel tracks while others had 8. And typically, the researchers I was most interested in listening to were scheduled to talk at the same time, during the 8 parallel track sessions! All in all, an enriching experience.

In June, I attended two 'In-Conversation' events held at Dundee Contemporary Arts as part of the Future Craft series of events within the Craft Festival Scotland programme. The first was a talk by printed textile designer and colourist Frances Stevenson and ceramist Lara Scobie who gave a brilliant insight in to the practice of Knowledge Exchange and Knowledge Transfer. They discussed in great detail the value of the 'Natural Forces' project (2006-7) which was initiated as a means of inspiration generation and creative product development. Frances' knowledge and application of colour along with her 2 dimensional imaging expertise and, Lara's knowledge and experience of 3 dimensional thinking and working was the essence of the 'exchange', with Lara learning from Frances and vices versa.

The results of the project are best explained via the shift in their work. Below are images of Lara and Frances' work before the project and of their new work after the partnership.I'll let you judge for yourself the value of Knowledge Exchange in craft practice and for craft practice.

What also was expressed as a key outcome of the project was the significant increase in motivation for making products. The project reivigorated them both, in equal measure and has facilitated a new direction and market for their work, allowing them to continue with their craft rather than abandoning it.I think this is a key real world issue for all creative practitioners - re-discovering the passion when inspiration is 'thin' andlife takes you in directions and on journeys which result in great uncertainty. For Lara and Frances, motherhood was one of these challenges and in terms of creative and commerical viability, their decision to work together resulted in the challenge being turned into an opportunity.

Both Frances and Lara lecture at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee. Contact details for them can be found at www.dundee.ac.uk

The second 'In-Conversation' talk was led by Amanda Game, Craft Curator and, Co-Founder and Director of Innovative Craft based in Edinburgh. The talk was a rare and much needed discussion about contemporary and future craft markets, education and product development. It looked at issues of innovation in craft, new methodologies, retailing and product quality. It was attended by a dynamic group of jewellers, textile designers, craft academics and interactive media designers. For me, the value of it was the passion from everyone to sustain craft as a sector, with ideas galour arising for the future direction of craft education. While not all of the ideas were in harmony (for example, making the issue of material the central feaure of educational programmes versus the need for craft education to embrace the wider implications of craft as a methodology). But what arose was that that 'quality' or 'tension' is necessary for our future plans - to capture the diversity, transparently present the different routes to market and responsibily make changes to allow craft can be sustainable and a viable future career choice, where the annual salary is (at least) 20% more than the average UK rather than being 20% less than the average UK.

How does craft capitalise on the USP that is 'craft' rather than losing out on its values and ethos to the large bluechip organisations? How does craft and its practitioners work in partnership with global brands to create sustainable new route(s) to market?

As Director of Craft Festival Scotland and convenor of the Protoype Symposium (Blogged in detail in June, on CraftResearch as the event was happeningby Momtaz), I had the pleasure of introducing and welcomingFaythe Levine to Scotland.Handmade Nation documents a movement of artists, crafters and designers that recognize the marriage between historical techniques, punk and DIY ethos while being influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art. Fuelled by the common thread of creating, Handmade Nation explores a burgeoning art community that is based on creativity, determination and networking. If you haven't seen it or read anbout it, I urge you to take a look at the the virtually tight-knit community that exists through websites, blogs and online stores and connects to the greater public through independent boutiques, galleries and craft fairs.

Past Present and Future Craft Practice - new book published!Launched as part of Craft Festival Scotland activities and a result of from the major research project funded by the AHRC, the book is a colections of ten chapters written by a range of experts. I'll write a blog entry dedicated to this new book, published by National Museums Scotland, and edited by myself and Georgina Follett. Keep a look out!

This is a reminder that submissions to the Material Culture, Craft & Community: Negotiating Objects Across Time and Space Conference are due OCTOBER 10, 2010.

20-21 May 2011
University of Alberta
Material Culture Institute

This interdisciplinary conference will explore the varied expressions of craft – material, cultural, social – in past and present societies. Craft practice has a rich history and remains vibrant today, sustaining communities while negotiating cultures. Craft-made goods were, and are, created for domestic or institutional use, for local or international markets. They express gender roles and cultural aspirations, sustain economies, and express aesthetic values and skills of making. Craft practice has long defined communities and groups, and continues to do so in the midst of global trade networks. Moreover, the flow of ideas, goods, and peoples animate the making, circulation, and meaning of craft goods. These and other issues will be addressed over the course of the conference.

Call for Papers:
Paper proposals and full panels are invited on topics ranging from the history to present practice of craft, issues of production, use, and trade of craft, and the construction and interpretation of the meanings of craft, in the context of personal interactions, local communities, national groups, modes of international circulation, and forms of cultural context.

Graduate students are encouraged to apply with either single papers or panels. Three graduate proposals will be selected for a special graduate plenary session, in addition to those papers selected for concurrent sessions.

Proposals are invited from all disciplines. The proposal package should include a paper summary of 150-200 words and a two-page CV. Proposals must be received by 10 October 2010.* The program will be announced 1 November 2010. Registration will open on 15 December 2010.

Conference Organizer: Beverly Lemire, Department of History & Classics and Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta
Proposals should be sent to: material.culture@ualberta.ca

The Institute's annual academic open day will include behind-the-scene tours of the exhibitions, collections, library and archive, as well as an introduction to our forthcoming events programme. If you are a tutor or a student with an interest in sculpture, this is the ideal introduction to the Institute and an opportunity to find out how our resources and academic events can enhance your work. The event will begin at 2.30 with a schedule of talks and tours from Henry Moore Institute curatorial staff.

The day will conclude at 5.30pm with a guest lecture from artist Claire Barclay at Leeds Art Gallery Lecture Theatre.

To book a place for yourself or a small group for the afternoon tours, or for more information, please contact Kirstie Gregory, kirstie@henry-moore.org

Claire Barclay's practice reflects an important strand in contemporary sculpture, engaging with questions of making and the role of 'craft' in art. Barclay will discuss her own work, picking up on themes from the concurrent Henry Moore Institute exhibition, Undone - a group show which brings together sculpture balanced on the threshold between the made and unmade.

Barclay creates sculptural environments, immersive installations which combine carefully crafted objects with more improvised elements, often constructed in-situ and responding specifically to a given space. A fascination with the material world of objects and the processes of their making lies at the heart of her practice. The objects in her installations recall the paraphernalia of the real world, but are never drawn directly from it - they are either hand-made by the artist, using traditional craft techniques, such as weaving, wood turning, glass-blowing and ceramics, often learnt for a particular project, or manufactured by specialists to her own specifications.

Claire Barclay has represented Scotland at the Venice Biennale (2003), shown at The British Art Show 6 (2005), Art Now at the Tate (2004) and has exhibited internationally in both solo and group shows since graduating in environmental art from Glasgow in 1993.

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Dr Louise Valentine is senior researcher on the UK based Past, Present and Future Craft Practice (PPFCP) project from which this BLOG arises. PPFCP is a major Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project led by Professor Georgina Follett and Dr Louise Valentine, Duncan of Jorandstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee, Scotland. Their research asks, 'Is there a Future for Craft?' (2005-2010)